The INROADS Heritage Center provides a virtual access to the mission, vision, history, and accomplishments of the INROADS organization. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1963 I Have A Dream speech, Frank C. Carr, a White corporate executive, also had a dream. Frank Carr knew that key decisions and power emanated from the corporate world and that Black, Brown, and Indigenous people were rarely a part of that world. Frank dreamed of changing that reality and implemented a rigorous process that facilitated greater access and opportunities to develop and succeed as leaders in this world. Under Frank Carr’s leadership, INROADS emerged as a vehicle to recruit, train and develop minority youth for leadership positions in corporate America and the community. Together with corporate and community partners, INROADS offered to aspiring young adults the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive, year-round leadership development process which included, ongoing professionally facilitated career training, personal coaching and mentoring, year-round academic support and paid career related internships to help students learn how “to play the game.” Upon college graduation, INROADS alumni entered the corporate world with the necessary tools to launch and sustain career success.

In the first thirty years, INROADS operated in 50 locations across the US, two international locations in Canada and Mexico, and one licensee agreement location in South Africa with over 500 pre-college students, nearly 7,000 college students, who upon college graduation joined the ranks of over 12,500 alumni of the premier leadership development process. The tangible impact of INROADS continues to permeate the lives of these thousands of former students and their families, as well as the thousands of supervisors and managers from more than 950 employers in the corporate, entrepreneurial, non-profit, academic, and governmental arenas. Well before it became a trend, INROADS was driving change towards a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.

Employers believed in the mission of INROADS which was “To develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership” and were aligned with the rigors of the organization’s leadership development process. These employers who agreed with the performance standards became investors and sponsors by annually providing financial support to INROADS, competitive salaries to the interns, creation and execution of career development plans, matching of mentors and supervisors, as well as other key contacts for INROADS staff and students. A number of colleges provided host sites for high school students to acquire advanced and additional educational information. INROADS provided coaching/counseling, tutoring, weekend training sessions, national and regional training institutes, and yearly awards banquets honoring students and corporate supporters.

The virtual INROADS Heritage Center site highlights four major areas of the INROADS organization. Documents, annual reports, videos, pictures, and other historical information can be viewed and explored by clicking on any of these four major areas below: 

Frank C. Carr Founder

Frank C. Carr Image

Frank C. Carr gave up a successful career in publishing in 1969 to found INROADS. Inc. Frank graduated from Princeton...

INROADS, Inc.

1998 Leadership Team

INROADS, Inc. is the national organization for INROADS.  It consists of national staff and a Board of Directors. In the...

Affiliate Operations

1998 Portland Interns

Affiliate Operations were the locally/regionally run locations which were incorporated within each state and governed by local Board of Directors....

Alumni

1989 Alumni Association Folder

Alumni are the young people who experienced the comprehensive leadership development process of INROADS and upon graduation from college moved...

INROADS in Pictures: